Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41384363›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of technology assessment in health care2025

Benefits and outcomes of implementing virtual health clinics in remote and underserved areas: a scoping review.

Mahdieh Poudineh Moghadam, Aliyeh Bazi, Parvaneh Esfahani, Vahideh Emadi

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of technology assessment in health care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mahdieh Poudineh MoghadamDepartment of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, https://ror.org/037tr0b92Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.
Aliyeh BaziDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, https://ror.org/037tr0b92Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.
Parvaneh EsfahaniDepartment of Health Services Management, School of Public Health, https://ror.org/037tr0b92Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3606-1185
Vahideh EmadiMaster of Health Services Management, Central, https://ror.org/037tr0b92Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAccess to quality healthcare is often limited in rural and underserved areas, leading to higher rates of preventable diseases, avoidable hospitalizations, and mortality. Virtual health clinics, utilizing telehealth and telemedicine technologies, offer a promising solution to bridge these gaps. This scoping review aimed to systematically identify and analyze the benefits, outcomes, and service range of virtual clinics in remote and underserved settings.

methodsThis scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage framework. Relevant literature was searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google, and Google Scholar. Data were extracted using a standardized charting form and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke's method with MAXQDA software.

resultsA total of 38 benefits of virtual clinics were identified, primarily related to improved access to health services, reduced costs, and decreased patient travel. In the domain of governance and leadership, enhanced governmental support and optimal resource allocation were reported. For human resources, improved communication and training were emphasized. Moreover, the use of local technologies, remote medication ordering, and digital record-keeping demonstrated a significant impact, particularly in middle- and high-income countries.

conclusionsVirtual clinics can effectively enhance the quality and accessibility of health services in underserved areas and play an important role in reducing health inequities.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityMedically Underserved AreaRural Health ServicesTelemedicineHumansbenefitsscoping reviewtelemedicineunderserved areasvirtual clinic

Identifiers

PMID41384363
PMCPMC12826858

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.